GUWAHATI: A minor girl, hailing from the Dima Hasao district of Assam was allegedly subjected to abuse and torture by an Indian Army Major and his wife in Himachal Pradesh.
The victim, a young girl had been working as a babysitter in the home of the couple to support her family when she fell prey to abuse inflicted by Kimi Ralsun Yadav, wife of the army officer Major Sailendra Yadav.
The Assam girl had initially taken up the role of a babysitter to the family. As per accounts stated by the victim’s mother to the media, the girl was brutally beaten and allegedly abused after she ate a piece of bread from the trash in order to satisfy her hunger.
The minor girl’s daily routine would begin at 5 AM and continue till late in the night without proper rest, food or water, as stated by the mother of the girl to the media.
One day after being starved, the girl rummaged through the trash bin for a piece of bread and as a result of this, the couple physically abused her.
The couple also chopped off chunks of her hair after allegedly labelling her as a thief. Kimi Ralsun Yadav allegedly also coerced the young girl to lick her own wounds and blood.
The horrors escalated as the girl was subjected to further indignities and was stripped naked. She was forced to stand before a CCTV camera for hours, often lasting late into the night.
The girl also endured an assault which resulted in her breaking a tooth which followed with hot water being thrown at her resulting in her sustaining burn injuries. There were even instances when she was locked without food for extended periods.
Following this, on September 24, 2023, the Dima Hasao Police received information concerning the brutal mistreatment of the minor girl, who had been taken to Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, to work as a domestic help, through social media platforms, stated the Superintendent of Police, Dima Hasao while addressing the media on Wednesday.
Soon after receiving the information, officials from the Dima Hasao Police reached the hospital where the minor girl was admitted.
“At first glance, the extent of the injuries could not be measured but after thorough examination, it was discovered that the victim sustained several bruises, cut marks, burn injuries, a broken nose, broken teeth and also her tongue was cut. After gathering a statement from the victim and acquiring further evidence corroborating the case, we registered a complaint with the Haflong Police Station (Case No 74/2023),” the SP stated further.
The charges filed encompass multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 326/374/354/506/370/34 of the IPC, along with section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
On September 25, the Army Major and his wife were arrested by the Haflong Police and are currently under judicial custody.
“We have also released an amount of ₹50,000 to the victim for medical treatment from the juvenile justice fund for now. The District Commissioner as well as the Dima Hasao Police are closely communicating and monitoring the treatment and rehabilitation of the victim. Apart from this, through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), other financial compensations will also be provided to the victim under different acts such as the SC/ST Act, POCSO Act, etc.,” the SP stated further.
A meeting was also held today among the DLSA, Child Welfare, Social Welfare, District Child Protection Officer, District Commissioner and other officials regarding the rehabilitation of the victim.
“We brainstormed about the ways we can provide legal aid to the victim, provide rehabilitation and treatment and also take better care of the victim. We want to make it as easy as possible for the girl to re-enter society after enduring the extensive trauma that she had endured,” the police official further added.
A senior official of the Indian Army while speaking to G Plus stated, “Probably we’ll be coming out with an official statement soon if any action against the accused personnel would be taken by the Indian Army.”
